Walking in Athens is a unique compilation of photos and accompanying articles, that came about from walking in various neighborhoods of the city. Mixed architectural styles, crumbling houses juxtaposed with concrete buildings, empty facades next to sound apartment blocks, this is a guide to a secret landscape. A compilation that speaks not just about architecture – it speaks about people coming and going, society changing, civilization evolving.

First published in 2005. Long acknowledged to be the 'best travel guide to Istanbul' (Times of London) this classic of travel literature is now available in a larger format in hardback binding. The work is both a useful and informative guide to the city with major useful monuments described in detail in terms of the history and architecture. Although the main emphasis of the book is on the Byzantine and Ottoman Antiquities, the city is not treated as a museum in the context of a living city. Itineraries are arranged so that each one takes the visitor to a different part of Istanbul.

Athens, city of the gods, birthplace of modern democracy, artistic and cultural center of the ancient world, is steeped in myth and legend. Now, in this newly reissued book publishing just in time for the 2004 Olympics being held in Athans, travel writer John Freely guides readers on a series of walks to the city's most vibrant and historic areas, from the magnificent Parthenon, center of Athens for four thousand years, to the winding streets of Plaka, the crumbling ruins of the Agora and the color and bustle of Monastiraki. We are led to the theatre of Dionysus, scene of the tragic plays of Aeschylus and Sophocles and to the spot where Phidippides ended his legendary run from Marathon. Vivid descriptions of Athens' most famous monuments and archeological sites are interwoven with mythology and anecdote; secret gems are discovered and the past resurrected with every step. This guide, more than any other available, reveals how the heart of ancient Athens still beats beneath the living, modern city.

'The best travel guide to Istanbul' - The Times Practical and informative, readable and vividly described, this is the definitive guide to and story of Istanbul, by those who know it best. This is the 2009 revised and updated edition of the classic guide to Istanbul, originally published thirty-seven years previously, which continues to inform and enchant visitors. Taking the reader on foot through this captivating city - European City of Culture 2010 - the authors describe the historic monuments and sites of what was once Constantinople and the capital in turn of the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires, in the context of the great living city. Woven throughout are vivid anecdotes, secret histories, hidden gems and every major place of interest the traveller will want to see.

There is perhaps no other European city quite as romantic, as exquisitely beautiful or as enigmatic as Venice. 'La Serenissima' floats on a hundred islets in a crescent-shaped lagoon, ribboned with canals, its labyrinth shadowed with ghosts of the past. This seemingly fragile city was the birthplace and inspiration for some of the greatest artists in history and was also, for a thousand years, the strongest sea-faring and mercantile power in the world. In Strolling Through Venice, John Freely brings Venice - her past and her present - alive. Beginning at Piazza San Marco, Freely guides the reader on a series of carefully planned and unique walks radiating from the iconic Grand Canal into each of the city's sestieri. Through streets and squares, along canals, into churches, galleries, museums and palazzi; every major place of interest that the visitor could hope to see is illuminated. At each spot Freely peels back the layers of history to reveal the stories of Venice. Practical and informative, richly coloured and bursting with history, myth and legend, Strolling Through Venice is the perfect guide for anyone who has fallen under the spell of this most enchanting city.

Rome, the Eternal City - birthplace of western civilisation and soul of the ancient world - has a history that stretches back two thousand five hundred years. It is also one of the most-visited places in the world, but where does one begin to delve into two millennia of history, culture, art and architecture, whilst also navigating the vibrant modern city? Mario Erasmo here guides the traveller through Rome's many layers of history, exploring the streets, museums, piazze, ruins and parks of this 'city of the soul'. Punctuated with anecdote, myth and legend, these unique walks often retrace the very steps taken by ancient Romans, early Christians, medieval pilgrims, Renaissance artists and aristocrats on the Grand Tour. Here is a rich cultural history of Rome that brings its epic past alive, illuminating the extraordinary sights and fascinating secrets of one of Europe's most beguiling cities.

Freely provides detailed maps and itineraries for extended excursions. Sized to fit with ease into a backpack or a glove box, this useful compendium is suitable for all travelers to that part of the world--Booklist